White Wedding Cake: Baking, Decorating, And Tasting

A white wedding cake is a classic choice for a reason. Its vanilla flavour is a crowd-pleaser, and its snowy-white colour is a stunning sight. Making a white wedding cake from scratch may seem daunting, but with the right tools and ingredients, it is manageable for any home baker.

The key to achieving the perfect white wedding cake is in the ingredients. Using cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, vanilla extract, egg whites, and milk, you can create a cake that is not only delicious but also has a beautiful snow-white colour. The reverse creaming method, where you mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients in another before slowly combining them, is a great way to prevent over-mixing the batter.

When it comes to decorating your white wedding cake, a simple approach is best. A crumb coat is essential to protect the outer layer of frosting from any crumbs. You can then use a bench scraper and a small icing spatula to create a textured, ruffled look that is not only beautiful but also easy to achieve.

Choosing the right ingredients

• Flour: The type of flour you use can affect the colour and texture of your cake. Cake flour will give you a whiter and lighter cake, while all-purpose flour can make it denser. If you want a truly white cake, go for cake flour.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is typically used in white wedding cakes. It adds sweetness and can also affect the texture. Make sure to use fine-grained sugar for a smoother batter.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in your cake. Go for a high-quality butter without any artificial dyes. The whiter the butter, the whiter your cake will be.
• Eggs: Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Using only egg whites will give you a whiter cake. Make sure they are at room temperature before adding them to your batter.
• Dairy: Sour cream or full-fat Greek yoghurt will add moisture and richness to your cake. You can also use whole milk or heavy cream. Avoid low-fat or fat-free options as they may affect the texture and taste.
• Extracts: Vanilla and almond extracts are commonly used in white wedding cakes. Clear vanilla extract will keep your cake whiter, but regular vanilla extract will add more flavour. Almond extract is potent, so use sparingly. You can also add butter extract for extra flavour.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These leavening agents help your cake rise and give it a light and fluffy texture. Make sure they are fresh and not expired.
• Salt: A small amount of salt will enhance the overall flavour of your cake. Use kosher salt or fine sea salt for the best results.

Remember to measure your ingredients accurately and bring them to room temperature before starting. Using room-temperature ingredients will ensure your batter mixes evenly and bakes properly.

Preparing the batter

To prepare the batter for a white wedding cake, you will need the following ingredients:

• Cake flour: This makes the cake super light and fluffy. You can also use all-purpose flour or cake flour for this recipe. The amounts will differ and that's noted on the printable recipe. Using cake flour will give you a whiter cake.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake.
• Baking powder: This helps the cake rise in the oven.
• Salt: A little bit of kosher salt enhances the overall flavour of the cake.
• Butter: Unsalted butter makes the cake rich, creamy, and moist. You can also use shortening instead of some of the butter to make the cake whiter.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the cake. You can use clear vanilla extract to avoid adding colour to the batter.
• Egg whites: Binding the cake together and helping it rise without changing the colour.
• Milk: Whole milk makes the cake rich and moist.
• Sour cream: This adds moisture to the cake.
• Vegetable oil or canola oil: This is added to the batter.
• Preheat the oven to 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease and flour two 8-inch round (2-inch deep) cake pans. You could also use three 6-inch round pans.
• In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, almond emulsion, butter extract, and egg whites.
• Add the butter and shortening in chunks to the dry mixture. Mix until the flour is coated with the shortening and butter. The mixture will be crumbly.
• Add in half of the liquid mixture and mix just until combined.
• Add in the last half of the liquid mixture and mix just until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix again, only for 10-15 seconds. Be careful not to over-beat the batter.
• Pour the batter into the greased and floured cake pans.
• Bake at 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes on a wire rack before covering with buttercream.

Baking the cake

To bake the cake, you'll need to follow a few steps. First, preheat your oven to 325-350°F. Grease and flour your cake pans. You can use two 8-inch round cake pans, three 6-inch round pans, or one 13x9 inch pan.

Next, prepare the batter. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, almond emulsion, butter extract, and egg whites.

Now, it's time to combine the dry and wet ingredients. Cut the butter into the dry mixture using a fork or pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and bake at 325-350°F for 25-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake is done when it is golden brown and springs back when touched.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once it's cooled, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature or in the fridge until you're ready to assemble and decorate your wedding cake.

Making the frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 8 cups (960g) confectioners' sugar
• 6 Tablespoons (90ml) whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method:

• In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, which should take around 2 minutes.
• Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt with the mixer running on low.
• Increase the speed to high and beat for another 2 minutes.
• Adjust the consistency of the frosting to your preference: add more confectioners' sugar if it is too thin, or more milk if it is too thick. You can also add an extra pinch of salt to taste if the frosting is too sweet.

Tips:

• If you desire other flavours of frosting, be sure to find a recipe that yields or adjust to yield 8-9 cups.
• To keep air bubbles out of your buttercream, ditch the mixer and use a wooden or metal spoon to stir the frosting by hand. Mash the frosting up against the side of the bowl to "pop" the bubbles. Do this for about 1-2 minutes, or until most of the air bubbles have popped.

Assembling the cake

Once your cakes are baked and cooled, it's time to assemble your white wedding cake.

Before assembling, cut the tops off each layer to have even and flat layers. You can use a cake leveller or a long serrated knife to do this.

To assemble the cake, pipe an outline of frosting around the top of the cake, then fill in the centre. Lightly add the next cake layer and gently press it into the bottom layer. Repeat with the next cake until all the layers are stacked with a layer of frosting in between each.

Lightly frost the entire outer cake with a crumb coat. This will make the cake look cleaner and well covered.

To make rosettes, fill a large decorating bag fitted with a large star tip with buttercream frosting. Starting at the bottom of the cake, hold the bag straight up with the tip just next to the cake, squeeze the bag and complete a full loop. Once you get to the end of the rosette shape, release the pressure to the bag so you can pull the bag away. Repeat rosettes until you have gone all the way around the cake. Then begin the next row. Continue until the entire cake is covered in rosettes. Any small uncovered areas can be gently filled in with small rosettes.

If you are assembling a two-tier cake, you will need to add cake dowels to the bottom tier for support. Measure the height of the bottom cake and cut the dowels to match. Staying within a circle in the centre of the top of the bottom cake, insert the dowels into the cake, spacing them about 2 inches apart to form the corners of a square. Push the dowels straight down until each touches the bottom cake board. Place the small tier on top.

After placing the small tier on top, you can pipe leftover frosting around the bottom of it. This covers up any spaces or smears that may have appeared when arranging the top tier. You can also pipe dots of frosting with a round piping tip between the tiers and around the bottom of the whole cake. To smooth any peaks on these "pearls", moisten your fingertip with water and gently press down on the peak.

Frequently asked questions